There are many instances in the food service industry in which it would be convenient for the operator to be able to package eating utensils together with a paper napkin. A paper napkin appropriately folded to hold eating utensils would allow the operator to insert utensils in the napkin prior to rush periods, eliminate the need for having boxes or containers of utensils accessible to diners, and provide an attractive presentation for the service of food. The customer would have the benefit of knowing that a minimum number of people have handled the utensils and there would be a reduced chance of the utensils sliding off a tray or a table. Fast food operations, hospital food service, cafeteria food service, and service of food on airplanes and other vehicle are examples of operations in which this would be advantageous to both the operator and the diner.
A paper napkin folded to include a pocket for holding utensils has been proposed as set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 1,865,922 issued on Jul. 5, 1932. The construction and folding procedures described in this patent include a combination of diagonal and right angle folds that yield a diamond or cornucopia shaped folded napkin having a triangular pocket in which utensils can be inserted. There are several problems associated with the constructions and methods described in this patent. The types of folds required by the construction of the patent can only be performed on individual napkins instead of on a web of tissue from which a napkin is made. The various diagonal folds taught by the patent cannot be made with commercial folding equipment at the high rates of speed necessary for economical production of paper napkins. Also, the triangular shape of the utensil pocket results in a rather small compartment for holding utensils and, as illustrated in the patent, parts of the utensils extend beyond the boundary of the napkin when inserted in the pocket so that the napkin provides limited protection for the utensils. It is therefore considered that the folded paper napkin as described in the patent is not suitable for commercial production at the high speeds presently required to produce paper napkins at a competitive cost.
The present invention was developed to provide a new construction of a paper napkin that is folded to include a compartment or pocket for holding eating utensils that is capable of meeting objectives such as (1) performing as many folds as possible while the tissue from which the paper napkin is made is in web form, (2) eliminating the need for diagonal folds, (3) providing a construction in which the pocket for holding the utensil is of maximum size, and (4) providing a folded napkin construction in which the napkin underlies the utensils stored in the pocket to thereby provide increased protection for the utensils. These and other features, objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description which follows.